Raipur: In a major anti-insurgency operation, nine Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, police said.
Bijapur district comes under the Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to polls in the first phase of general elections on April 19.
The gunfight took place at around 6 am in a forest near Lendra village under Gangaloor police station area, when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said.
After the exchange of fire stopped, bodies of four Naxalites were recovered from the spot along with a light machine gun, barrel grenade launchers and other arms and ammunitions, he said.
Later, five more bodies were found at the encounter site, the IG said, adding that search operation was still underway in the area.
